Please help


SN22

New Member
This is a very hard post for me to write.

My mom got a puppy from the pet store about a week ago. I told her to get an older dog or at least go to a rescue but I should have tried harder to talk her out of it. She's had poodle puppies and was sure she could handle it, despite doing research online mentioning how stubborn and hyper they can be.

Now, the puppy is absolutely overwhelming to her. I take care of the puppy exclusively 6.5 days a week, but she still says it's way too much to handle in our household. We've been working on potty training and she already has a 50-75% success rate, but my mom insists on zero accidents and it causes huge fights if there is one. The puppy chews and bites, and we all hate that, but my mom doesn't like talking sternly to animals, so all the training is left to me (and she now bites me only rarely, but still goes after my mom nonstop). I tell my mom to be consistent and not undermine my training, but it causes a huge fight because a daughter shouldn't be bossing her mom around I guess.

I've grown very attached to the puppy, but she is definitely the most difficult I've ever had. She's not bad at all. Just an average doxie from what I've read. And she's soooo sweet and affectionate and attached to us.

Now my mom says we have to return her to the pet store. The thought of this tiny warm little thing going back to that cage breaks my heart. But she can't live in a house where everyone but me hates her. If we have to re-home her, I want to pick a great family, NOT return her. I'm worried she'll be scarred for life and get separation anxiety or learn not to trust people. I rationalize it by saying re-homing her now is better than re-homing her later, and that it's not emotionally different than when I've fostered kittens for a couple weeks and then re-homed them, but it feels devastating. I've become the exact type of person I hate, letting this happen.

I don't want to beg her to keep a dog she hates, the puppy doesn't deserve that kind of family. Mom refuses to do a training class or invest any more in this "lost cause" hyper puppy. She doesn't even want to play with her or exercise her.

There's pretty much nothing else I can do to make this better except look for a new thoroughly-vetted home.

We are in California if anyone reading this is interested in her and has dachshund experience. Otherwise, any advice at all is welcome. You can even tell me that we're monsters if you want. I deserve it.
 
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Nell

Member
Its done now. Its pointless me saying your Mum should never have got the puppy because I think you already know that.

The important thing now is to try and find a good home for the puppy. You don't say how old she is? Is she healthy?

All puppies are a handful but I wouldn't try to persuade you to keep a puppy that is not wanted. What does your Mum want to do? after all she bought the puppy and she needs to take some responsibility and not leave it all to you.

I agree it would be a shame to take her back to the pet shop. Is there a rescue scheme near you or could you take a nice photo and try to sell her via a website at least that way you could vet the homes. What about putting a picture in your local vets?

Please try to find this pup a good home its not her fault things haven't worked out.
 

SN22

New Member
Yes, I do know. I'm disgusted with my mom about this. She's just shy of 3 months old and very healthy.

I'm contacting rescue groups, but my mom announced this decision to return the puppy very abruptly this morning and I'm sure most of them are already overflowing with poor dogs and there's a waitlist. I really hope my mom doesn't do anything rash while I try and figure something out.
 

sherlock

New Member
You could also look for no-kill shelters that aren't breed-specific like most rescues. It's still better than going back to the pet store or the city shelter.
 

HilyBee

New Member
I would convince your Mom to let you find it a home and work as fast as possible to find it a new home. A healthy, 3 month old dachshund puppy who is doing well with potty training (and vetted?) will be a little easier to adopt out. Put an ad in your local newspaper that you have a puppy for adoption. Make sure you find a good home, not just anyone if at all possible. When you contact the rescues, see if they can just post a picture of the puppy for you. Have them state it is URGENT! Also, post pictures on Dachshund Facebook groups that are for rescues, adoptions, etc. They work really hard to screen the potential parents as well before adopting out but can help you find more will people even out of state.

It's definitely not fair that your Mom pushed the puppy on you, but good job for taking care of it as much as possible and for trying to find it a better home. Post a picture on here with ALL of her information that is known - name, age, vetted (spayed/neutered, vaccinations, flea/tick control, any known allergies, etc.), pictures, where you got her from.. and I will post to groups that I belong to.
 

GJBain

Member
Yes definitely post some pictures please. What is she, miniature, standard, red, black/tan, black, dapple, piebald, smooth, long hair, wire hair. Which one?
 
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SN22

New Member
Thank you all for your advice. I have been a wreck all day so I didn't reply earlier. We got in contact with a dachshund rescue that had a good foster home available and were able to meet up with the foster mom. She seemed to really understand the puppy's needs and assured us that they are really strict about screening potential new families so that this awful event does not happen again. This was a priority for me, because I would never let her go to just anyone. We really liked the lady and she really liked the puppy and is confident she will find the puppy a great home very quickly. I didn't want to post a paper ad or a CL ad because I know science labs and dog fighters looking for bait dogs often get their puppies that way.

I just hope with every bit of my soul that this puppy won't be traumatized, or doomed to have trust issues/ behavioral problems due to this. This is a LOT of changes for her to handle.

If anyone reading this is interested, she's available at dachshund paws rescue of southern California. She's just shy of 3 months old, standard sized, smooth-coated, and red in color. Sweetest face on the planet. She is hyper and very playful, but very much a lapdog as well. Definitely not currently suited for a home with small children.
 

sherlock

New Member
Oh I'm so glad to hear it! She might have a bit of separation/trust issues, and going to a foster home and THEN a forever home might not help. But she's still young, so I'm sure once she does find a forever home and learns that she's there to stay she will be alright.
 
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